A very ornamental plant, non-invasive and well suited to the wild garden though it may require protection from wood pigeons who eat out the young buds in spring[187]. It grows well in the spring meadow[24].

Is Cuckooflower rare?

Distribution – 2/5 – Not common but widely dispersed throughout the UK in wet woodland, riverbanks and marshland.

Is Cuckooflower common?

Common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, Cuckooflower is found throughout Europe and in many other temperate parts of the world.

Where do cuckoo flowers grow?

Where to find Cuckooflower. This wild flower is commonly found throughout the UK. It grows wherever there is damp ground - wet grassland, damp meadows, pond margins and along the banks of streams. It is may also found on road verges and in ditches.

Why is it called Cuckooflower?

Its common name Cuckoo Flower refers to the arrival of the flowers at the same time as the cuckoo begins to sing.

Cuckoo Flower - Why Are They Good for Wildlife?

35 related questions found

Can you eat cuckoo flowers?

The cuckooflower was at one time a popular spring salad plant and has a pungent cress-like flavour. The flowers are also edible.

Is Cuckoo flower a pond plant?

Cardamine pratensis (Cuckoo flower, Lady's smock) - Devon Pond Plants.

How does Cuckooflower spread?

As the name suggests, Cuckooflower arrives in spring when its namesake begins to call. The plants spread gently by rhizomes and rooting leaflets to form colonies, the stems bearing leaves that are divided into a series of neat, rounded leaflets. The upright flower stems carry a loose spray of flowers.

What is the proper name for the Cuckooflower?

Cardamine pratensis, the cuckoo flower, lady's smock, mayflower, or milkmaids, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. The specific name pratensis is Latin for "meadow".

What is the flower of Cheshire?

The county flower of Cheshire is the Cuckooflower, known by its scientific name as Cardamine pratensis. Also going by nicknames including lady's smock, mayflower or milkmaids, it's native throughout much of Europe and commonly found in meadows.

Is Cuckoo Flower poisonous to horses?

Only during drought conditions would a horse even consider it and even then their contact would be limited. However, the sap can irritate on contact so it should be avoided. ... All parts of this plant are toxic to equines & sap can irritate on contact.

Why is it called ladys smock?

The common name 'Lady's-smock' arises from the cupped shape of the flowers. However, 'smock' was once a slang term for a woman and the name may have alluded to certain springtime activities in the meadows!

Do bees like cuckoo flower?

Cuckoo Flower or Lady's Smock as it is also known, like other early wildflowers provides a nectar source for Butterflies, Bees and other insects in early spring, making it a great addition to a wild flower or wildlife garden. It is also an essential larval food plant for the strikingly coloured Orange-tip Butterfly.

What does a cowslip flower look like?

Flowers: bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers that have five petals with small indents on the top edge of each petal. The flowers are enclosed by a long, green, tube-shaped calyx (protective flower casing) and are found in clusters on each plant, all facing to one side.

What does cuckoo flower taste like?

Cuckoo flower is highly attractive to butterflies and acts as a larval host for the orange tip butterfly. The leaves and young shoots are edible raw or cooked and contain numerous vitamins and minerals, according to the website Plants for a Future. The flavor is somewhat bitter, with a taste similar to watercress.

How do you grow lady smock?

lady's smock or cuckoo flower

1. Position: full or partial shade.
2. Soil: humus-rich moist soil.
3. Rate of growth: average.
4. Flowering period: April to May.
5. Hardiness: fully hardy. ...
6. Garden care: Surface sow into small pots or plugs filled with good compost and gently firm down. ...
7. Sow: August - September or March -May.

How do you grow cardamine?

Cardamine are best planted in a moist but well-drained soil of chalk, clay, sand or loam within an acidic, alkaline or neutral PH balance. They are best positioned in an area of part or full shade. Can also be used as a marginal pond plant.

What are marginal pond plants?

Marginal plants are those which grow around the margins of the pond where the water is shallow. They usually have their soil and crown underwater, and sometimes their lower foliage as well. They are generally placed on planting shelves within the pond.

How do I get rid of creeping buttercup?

Creeping buttercups can be managed in an organic manner by digging out the plant. Use a fork or trowel to dig up the weed and ensure it is removed from your garden. You should then mulch it deeply to smother the weed. In laws, in the most prolific cases, you should lift the turf and replace it.

Is dog's mercury poisonous?

All parts of dog's mercury are poisonous. It can induce jaundice, diarrhoea, vomiting and even death.

Is Vicia sativa edible?

Vetches are food plants of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Pea Aphid), several leafhoppers (Empoasca spp.), and the thrips, Sericothrips cingulatus. The foliage of Common Vetch is edible to mammalian herbivores: It is readily eaten by cattle, horses, sheep, deer, rabbits, and groundhogs.

Are cornflowers invasive?

Native to Europe, cornflowers are widely cultivated in North America as garden plants and have naturalized as an invasive species in some areas outside of their native range.

Do cornflowers spread?

Growth Habit: Cornflowers vary in size, depending on the variety. Shorter types are best in the front of the border, while taller varieties are best mid-garden. Plants tend to grow upright, rather than spread, yet the more blossoms are cut, the more buds they will produce and the plants will get bushy and full.

Are cornflowers cut and come again?

Cornflowers are what we can call, 'cut and come again' flowers…if you cut them above a leaf node then the little star will produce more flowers for you… albeit on slightly shorter stems. ... this way you will have flowers from May until the frosts, even from the smallest patch.